Fishing: Summer's here for the weekend, so don't waste it

ST. JOHNS RIVER AND AREA LAKES

Tantalizing is what you’d term the speck fishing along the river. It’s just that time when they’re here, but not quite here good. This does not impede the sale of Missouri Minnows, especially with weather like we’ve had the past two days — and that approaching.

The combination of sunshine and light winds was confusing at first — it has been too long.

The good reports may have as much to do with the number of fishermen on the water as fish under it, but it really doesn’t matter. Go fishing.

The better speckled perch reports are spreading out. Lochloosa is good, especially on the north end of the lake. They run a monthly speck pool out of Lochloosa Harbor during the season. It was a tie between two anglers for November — both weighing fish of 2 pounds, 2.5 ounces. Nice.

Crescent Lake took a turn for the better. Most of the anglers are working Hog and Drayton Islands on the deeper drops. But the area around the mouth of Dunn’s Creek is good too — when you find the deeper drops.

If you’re shore bound, there are good reports of some big specks being caught on the lake side of the Rodman Dam — right up against the dam.

Didn’t hear anything from Dead Lake this week but it shouldn’t be long. The water temperature in Dunn’s Creek this week was 62 degrees and that’s right where they’ll usually start going off.

The commercial catfish guys pummeled the cats this week. They ate cut mullet but went crazy for fresh-caught hardback shrimp. Plain old shrimp will do fine if you don’t feel like getting wet.

A few stripers are showing up outside the spring runs on Lake George. And there are still a lot of redfish down there — and these are slot fish.

THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY

There hasn’t been much activity until Tuesday but everyone out in the ICW seemed be finding fish. The flounder bite is slowing. The bigger fish seem to be north of Pine Island.

Redfish are everywhere but a lot are undersized — way undersized.

The best bite going is sheepshead. Even with the foul weather over the long weekend, Avid Angler sold 2,000 fiddler crabs.

The next best bet is black drum. Fresh dead shrimp fished in any hole should pay off.

Trout are going to be scattered because of the extremes of temperatures. And we’re getting some real extremes this weekend.

There are also a slew of bluefish out there.

THE ATLANTIC

Nobody’s been out there because of the weather. Some boats were heading out Wednesday morning but deadlines preclude reporting that. But it looks like some pretty nice weather in the next few days and if you have the time and gas money, it should be great — at least for the bottom fishing.

Again, few boats have been out, but prior the blow the redeyes, triggerfish and black sea bass were all biting hard. Grouper are still tough to come by. Snapper remain so thick they’re pesky.

Surf fishing reports seem to be feast or famine. The better reports this week have come from the north beaches. But I suspect if you can sit on a slough long enough the fish will find you wherever you set up.

The pompano, for the most part, slipped past us during the past two weeks of windy weather. Reports here are slim locally, but New Smyrna is red-hot.

THE WEATHER

According to the weatherman, we’re going to set some records toward the weekend. They’re calling for 82 degrees Friday and that beats a record from 1942. Saturday, the 81 degree temperature breaks one from 1978.

Winds will be southerly Saturday and Sunday with seas 2 to 3 feet and there’s no real chance of rain. Looks like a pretty one. Don’t waste it.